As I quote from the Ork codex: "Orks are part animal and part fungus. This plant-like biology..."

So... what the hell are they?

Charax

26-09-2009, 07:26

they're plant-animal hybrids. Animals with symbiotic plant cells

Lothlanathorian

26-09-2009, 07:34

They have some kind of algae like cells in their blood. That is why they are green, apparently. This allows them to clot faster and be stupidly durable.

ntin

26-09-2009, 08:18

Orks also reproduce by leaving spores all over the ground as they move about. This is what makes battling Orks so difficulty even if you kill the war band a few months later the spores mature into full grown Orks. In way Orks act like an ant or bee hive. A small tribe of Orks will contain basic Boyz (drones or workers), as the population expands more specialized Orks are born. An Orks spores also spawn non “Ork” creatures like Gretchin, Squigs, or even Squiggoths which are all genetic relatives.

Ork tribes are also a near perfect model of Darwinism as the Orks continually evolve to fit their needs to some extent. The more an Ork fights the more aggressive and larger he becomes. The best Ork (strength and/or cunning) will always be in charge of his tribe. When the tribe gets to large it either units to fight another tribe or alien race or splinters into smaller groups. Which then weed out the weakest Orks forming a core of battle hardened Orks to start the process over again.

eltanko

26-09-2009, 09:53

So do they grow like plants, or do they appear as tiny little orks then get bigger, like normal animals?!?

Its a very strange theory!

ElTanko

Askil the Undecided

26-09-2009, 10:49

Orks grow to full size in an underground fungal sack this takes quite a while. during this time the sack itself measures the level of spores in the area and from this it "decides" which species of the Ork ecosystem it will grow. Thus Ork spores grow into Fungus, Squigs, Snots, Grots or Orks depending on how many other Fungus, Squigs, Snots, Grots or Orks are about.

Condottiere

26-09-2009, 16:58

If I were a Gretchin, I'd demand a written constitution and a bill of rights.

Argastes

26-09-2009, 17:09

If I were a Gretchin, I'd demand a written constitution and a bill of rights.

Follow the "Full Angelis experience pack" link in Askil's sig to learn about Grots who had a similar idea on a little planted called Gorkamorka!

ntin

26-09-2009, 17:29

If I were a Gretchin, I'd demand a written constitution and a bill of rights.

The Red Gobbo agrees with you.

dcpattyizbeast

26-09-2009, 17:59

they're plant-animal hybrids. Animals with symbiotic plant cells

Or maybe their Protists. A mix of animal and plant like characteristics. Kind of like Eulgena.

Argastes

26-09-2009, 18:16

Couldn't be, protists lack specialized tissues even when they are multicellular (i.e. colony-forming). It is true that Orks, like some protists, have a mix of plant-like and animal-like features; but they are totally different from protists.

The pestilent 1

27-09-2009, 06:41

Warhammer scoffs at your pathetic "Logic" and "Sane biology" in favour of REAL physics.
The rule of cool.

That is what Orks are. cool.
Their technology works on the principle that they believe it works for goodness sakes.

Iracundus

27-09-2009, 06:44

Their technology works on the principle that they believe it works for goodness sakes.

What one Tech-Priest claims is not necessarily what is true. Just because the Imperium cannot figure something out doesn't mean it is impossible. The same Imperium claims Necron Gauss technology is impossible yet the very fact of Necrons going around using it means the Imperium just hasn't figured it out.

The existence of humans able to use Ork weaponry, such as the Armageddon Ork Hunters, also disproves that theory as no amount of wishful thinking from a non-psyker human is going to make a difference to whether something works or not.

CthulhuDalek

27-09-2009, 07:24

I think they've simply retconned that bit, haven't they?

In a Ciaphas Cain novel(not necessarily the greatest fluff source, but entertaining nonetheless) he is able to ride a warbuggy.

Condottiere

27-09-2009, 07:43

Actually, Wishful Thinking would require at least one component in the item that would receive the Psychic Impulse, verify it and activate the item.

Lothlanathorian

27-09-2009, 09:13

What one Tech-Priest claims is not necessarily what is true. Just because the Imperium cannot figure something out doesn't mean it is impossible. The same Imperium claims Necron Gauss technology is impossible yet the very fact of Necrons going around using it means the Imperium just hasn't figured it out.

The existence of humans able to use Ork weaponry, such as the Armageddon Ork Hunters, also disproves that theory as no amount of wishful thinking from a non-psyker human is going to make a difference to whether something works or not.

TD;DR (too drunk; didn't read)

I shall assume that you are disparaging my Orks. Sir, I respectfully request that you shut your mouth with this nonsense. :p

The whole 'Orks think it works so it does', isn't really that far fetched and unbelievable. And just because Armageddon Ork Wannabes use the kit they scavenge that does work doesn't really prove much. BTW, look close at that last sentence to see what I did there.

Iracundus

27-09-2009, 09:25

Your post was incoherent and nonsensical.

My example disproves Anzion's theory because he was stating that Ork technology was fundamentally impossible and only worked because of Ork psychic wishful thinking. Human Ork hunters are fundamentally human, and non-psykers. No amount of any sort of wishful thinking would have made Ork guns work if Anzion's theory was true. However, the Ork hunters had no problems using the seemingly "impossible" Ork guns, ergo Anzion's theory is false. All it takes is one counter example to disprove.

susu.exp

27-09-2009, 21:38

As I quote from the Ork codex: "Orks are part animal and part fungus. This plant-like biology..."

So... what the hell are they?

Orks. The Imperium has lost quite a lot of knowledge and one of the things that they appear to know nothing about is phylogenetic systematics. A viable biological group, such as plants, animals, dinosaurs, etc. has to be what is technically known as a monophyletic group, i.e. it must contain an ancestral species and all descendents. While Orks may be in a symbiosis (in the same way corals are symbiotic with algae - the Zooxanthellae, i.e. an aminal with algae as symbionts), they do not go back to a common ancestor with terrestrial animals (as far as we know), nor do their algae-like symbionts go back to a common ancestor with plants. Hence Orks are Orks from the standpoint of biology. Judging from the mess they make of Tyranid phylogeny the AdMech has come up with (see C:T), itīs safe to say the Magi biologi arenīt up to our modern standards there.

t-tauri

28-09-2009, 10:04

Thread pruned down due to pointless argumentative and off topic posts. Please argue in accordance with the posting guidelines.